Speaking with the Washington Blade,
out presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg called President Donald
Trump's record on transgender rights “extremely disturbing.”

Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of
South Bend, Indiana, last month announced his campaign for the 2020
Democratic presidential nomination.

Buttigieg came out gay in a 2015 op-ed
and married Chasten Glezman, a teacher, in June.

When asked about Trump's handling of
LGBT issues, Buttigieg answered that Trump's record on transgender
rights and his selection of Vice President Mike Pence, who is
strongly opposed to LGBT rights, shows that he was not sincere in his
promise to support LGBT rights during the 2016 campaign.”

“Obviously the attack on trans rights
and the trans military ban is extremely disturbing,” Buttigieg
said. “When I was in the military, the people I served with could
not have cared less whether I was going home to a girlfriend or
boyfriend. They just wanted to know that I was going to be someone
they could trust with their lives and vice-versa.”

“Trans members of the military who
are willing to put their lives on the line in order to defend this
country deserve to be supported by their commander in chief, and it’s
extremely disturbing, especially for someone who, let’s face it,
kind of pink-washed his campaign early on and portrayed himself as
somebody who might change the way the Republican Party related to the
LGBT community to turn around and do this demonstrates that he was
never serious about that, not to mention the elevation of Mike Pence
to one heartbeat away from the presidency.”

Buttigieg added that while Trump is
unpopular, winning the White House will require a compelling message
“that's different and better” from the Democratic nominee.